Update on the situation of Scirtothrips aurantii in Spain
In Spain, Scirtothrips aurantii (Thysanoptera: Thripidae – EPPO A1 List) was first reported in 2020 in Andalucía (first in the province of Huelva and then in Córdoba and Málaga) (EPPO RS 2021/008, RS 2022/084, RS 2024/218) and in 2024 in Alicante and Valencia provinces, in the Comunidad Valenciana (RS 2024/129) as well as in Islas Baleares (RS 2024/218). Official measures are applied.
In the framework of official surveys, S. aurantii was first detected in Cataluña in October 2025. A specimen was found in a yellow sticky trap placed in a citrus plot in the municipality of Alcanar (Tarragona province). Intensive delimiting surveys are being carried out and phytosanitary measures aiming at eradication will be taken.
In Andalucía, during the first semester of 2025, the pest has been detected in new citrus plots located in the provinces of Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada and Málaga.
In Comunidad Valenciana, the pest has been detected in all 3 provinces, in a total of 325 municipalities, as follows: 79 municipalities of 6 regions in Alicante province, 39 municipalities of 6 regions in Castellón province, and 207 municipalities of 13 regions in Valencia province.
The pest status of Scirtothrips aurantii in Spain is officially declared as: Present, only in some parts of the Member State concerned, under eradication.
Sources
NPPO of Spain (2025-11). |